by Skyler Grant
Nyx shrugged her tiny shoulders. “I haven’t gone through everything yet. A station like this should have some kind of emergency beacon, a transponder for incoming ships. Some kind of transmitter we could repurpose. Want me to try?”
“Let’s be prepared, just in case,” Banok said.
“In the meantime, I’m going to find out if this place has a decent bath. Join me?” Vanwyn asked Banok.
“Slattern,” Nyx said peevishly. “And a layabout. Leave me to do all the work and go off and enjoy yourselves.”
That was exactly the plan.
“I’ll be happy to help you out, Miss Nyx,” Jia said cheerfully.
Banok nodded to Vanwyn.
Given the luxury of facilities like this, the bath was probably something to behold. Banok wasn’t disappointed.
There were an absurd number of jets, water vibrational set to music, optional settings so you could have just about any sort of bubbles or scent you wanted, and large enough for four people.
It didn’t offer much in the way of privacy being in a public area, but Banok wasn’t all that shy. No transmitters meant their unknown hosts weren’t spying on them, and Jia was the only one of those present he didn’t have some degree of an intimate relationship with anyways.
Banok stripped out of blood-stained armor and Vanwyn did the same. The first time he’d lain with Vanwyn he had been struck by her strangeness. For all that Elves were humanoid they weren’t human, and that grated on the psyche—the slightly different length of the limbs, the proportions being just wrong. It was amazing how effectively a few orgasms could reprogram the mind though and what once had seemed alien and a touch off-putting was now desirable.
Vanwyn caught him looking and flashed him a smile. “Good to see you’ve started to have properly refined tastes.”
Banok lowered himself into the water. The temperature had been set hot enough to draw a sharp breath from him. Still, after a moment to adjust, he was submerged to his chest.
“I’m surprised you’re in the mood for this,” Banok said.
“That is the thing about being an immortal, druid. You’ll learn one of these days. People think it makes you see every moment as something that will come again. Instead you develop a keen appreciation of the good times and seizing opportunities to enjoy them,” Vanwyn said, as she lowered herself into the water as well.
“Good. You’re not turning into Cleo. The danger of this whole situation would have her excited,” Banok said.
Vanwyn moved to straddle him face-to-face, her small breasts half covered by the water. “Oh? Is that why you’re so excited?”
Banok cleared his throat. “I think other reasons are more than enough reason. Don’t you?”
Vanwyn reached over to turn up the jets, the bubble of water becoming a dull roar around them as she leaned in to nibble at his earlobe.
Vanwyn whispered, “I don’t like this, Banok. They may want to talk, but they’ve trapped us on a station with no way out. If things don’t go to their liking we need an escape plan.”
As much as Banok was inclined to agree he was finding it very hard to think about that just now. Especially when Vanwyn grabbed his shoulders and repositioned herself, their bodies fitting together beneath the bubbling water.
Banok pressed a long and hungered kiss to her lips before sliding them across her cheek so he could murmur in turn, “Nyx knows that. She’ll be working on more than comms.”
It was true. Nyx could be paranoid, and was frightfully smart. Banok couldn’t imagine a way off this station, but if anyone could find one it was going to be Nyx.
Vanwyn gave no further reply, not to the conversation. Instead they added their own churn to the waters around them.
12
The next few hours were a pleasurable blur. Only a few spent in the bath before Banok and Vanwyn moved things into one of the bedrooms. Thirteen hours was a lot of time to kill, and as diverting as the entertainments this place had might be they were nothing when compared with each other.
When there were only ten minutes left on the clock everyone gathered back in the central lounge.
Everyone had their armor cleaned and clothing freshly laundered. It took the station facilities a mere minute to restore everything to pristine condition.
“Did you manage to get us a transmitter?” Banok asked.
That was mostly for show. He hoped that Nyx had managed a lot more than that.
Massive windows showed space outside. They were somewhere between star systems. No planets or stars were visible. At a minute before the timer ran out however they did finally see a ship smoothly approaching the station, and as the timer reached zero felt a gentle shake of the structure as it docked.
“Guess it really isn’t a bomb,” Banok said.
“Told you, dummy,” Nyx said, a little smug.
It was less than two minutes before a woman entered the room. Dark hair and eyes, she looked to be somewhere in her early twenties. She wore a gray skirt and blouse, and the glint of metal beneath one ear wasn’t jewelry but rather some sort of implant. Under one arm she carried a binder.
“Thank you all for waiting so patiently, not that we gave you any sort of choice. You can call me Blank, bit of a joke there,” the woman said with a faint smile. Handshakes were given all around, except to Nyx, of course. Blank’s hand was soft, uncalloused. Not a laborer, obviously.
“Not a joke we get,” Banok said.
“Then I’ll explain it,” Blank said in good cheer. “Those I represent prefer to remain anonymous. I’m the layer between you and them.”
“The tech in her head, it has a big datastream headed back to her ship,” Nyx said.
“Where it is then tied to a system going to yet another cutout that ultimately leads you nowhere near those controlling me,” Blank said.
“Yes, I’m sure you’re all very clever. It hasn’t really worked out for you. What do you want?” Banok asked.
“We completely agree. We thought you were pieces to be easily brushed off the board, and you proved us wrong. Seriously, nothing but respect coming from our direction. We value competency and we learn from our mistakes,” Blank said.
Banok and the others settled around the table. They already had drinks. Blank made no sign of going for one herself.
“So this is about what? Recruitment?” Vanwyn asked.
“Of course. You’re expensive to kill, you’re expensive to leave alive. The funds you took from the bank? The loss of a shipyard?” Blank said, giving an overly dramatic wince. “Accountants were jumping off buildings.”
“You nuked the druids. You nearly destroyed my Order,” Banok said.
“An ancient organization devoted to neutrality with a secret arm that loved to meddle. Look at how you profited from their destruction. A rebuilt and less meddling Order is something we’re prepared to tolerate,” Blank said.
“I’ve been around a very long time. Whatever you are, I must know you. Why pretend I don’t?” Vanwyn said.
“Not all things worthwhile are old,” Blank said. “So, I’ve an offer for each of you. Refusal is an incredibly bad idea, but despite your concerns this whole place is not set to blow. We promised you safe conduct and we keep our word. When we’re done, you’ll be allowed to leave on my ship.”
Interesting, if true. Banok approved of honor in an enemy, it made them easier to kill.
“Well, you have your captive audience. Make your pitch,” Banok said.
Blank reached into her binder, pulling out a sleeve of papers and looking through them for a moment before extracting a far smaller bundle pinned to the corner of one and sliding them towards Nyx.
“Lab space, materials, and the chance to work on true cutting-edge projects. The chance to pitch to other fairies as well and attempt to recruit them. We’ve an interest in the fusion of magical technology you represent. And, of course, a healthy pay and benefits package,” Blank said in what sounded a well-rehearsed pitch.
“I’m already rich,” Nyx said peevish
ly, moving over to look over the papers. “The rest of that is … pretty nice though. I guess.”
Blank passed on another sheaf of papers, this time to Vanwyn.
“We could use an Elvish expert. What you might want was harder to pin down, but we thought it was novelty. Humans are the newest race on the galactic scene and we are the technological leaders of what humans have to offer,” Blank said.
Vanwyn’s expression gave nothing away.
“Grand Master Banok. The Druid Order is scattered, broken. We can help to both safeguard you against any future tragedies and to rebuild. Plus, the usual perks, especially generous in your case,” Blank said, handing over a sheaf of papers thicker than any of the others.
That seemed to be it. Jia looked disappointed. It seemed she hadn’t killed enough people yet to get her own pitch.
13
“I have questions,” Vanwyn said to Blank.
“I’m sure we all do,” Banok said.
“I’m sure,” Blank said with a sunny smile. “Which doesn’t mean I have answers.”
“You seem to have specific jobs in mind for these two. You didn’t say anything like that for me,” Banok said.
“We mostly want you out of our way. We may ask for the occasional favor, one you’d be ill-advised to refuse, but if you stay on your little world and out of way we’ll be satisfied,” Blank said.
“I don’t work for people who won’t even show me their true faces,” Vanwyn said flatly, sliding the papers back.
Blank pushed them back, that sunny smile not fading. “Think about it. Truly. We’re fantastic friends and terrible enemies. That should make you happy, and scared. The first one only if you make the right choice.”
“You’re bankrupt. Your fleet destroyed. Threats don’t actually make you dangerous,” Banok said.
“You raided the petty cash drawer. Don’t think you beat us, you didn’t, not even close. Don’t let getting off to a bad start keep you from a great opportunity.”
“You nuked my people,” Banok said.
“An Order that had exiled you. That you had no loyalty to before that incident,” Blank said, her smile a little more dangerous.
“I don’t hate it. I’m flexible, but I’m with Banok,” Nyx said.
Banok wasn’t sure what to think. Whoever these people were they had used him, taken out the Druid Order, tried to kill him more than once. Still, he’d lived a dangerous life and it wouldn’t be the first time that an enemy had turned into a friend.
The way they’d gone about this didn’t sit well with him though. Kidnapping Cleo’s family to force a meeting? While effective, as the Orcs had earlier pointed out they could have just requested a meeting somewhere neutral. Banok would have come out of curiosity, and he thought the others would have as well. They forced this meeting to be on terms where they were dominant, and that was how they wanted to be perceived. Even if they accepted, that was the kind of relationship they’d want to maintain.
“You hit me and I hit back. I might be willing to let it stay at that, but I’ve no interest in working for you,” Banok said.
Blank looked sad and gave a sigh. “Well, just to confirm, that is three refusals then?”
There were nods around the table.
“A mistake. If in the future you wish to reconsider, book a room in the Alergori Resort on Penalos Four,” Blank said. Then her eyes went distant for a moment and with a slump she crashed forward, faceplanting on the table.
“Uhh …” Banok said.
Vanwyn was already rising from her seat and moving to press fingers to Blank’s throat. “No pulse.”
Banok could have told her that. Blank’s lifeforce had been snuffed in an instant.
“Well, this is an all-new way of shooting the messenger,” Banok said.
Nyx fluttered over, already pulling out her tiny tablet and connecting a few thin wires from it to the implant below Blank’s ear.
“Why kill her just because we said no?” Banok asked.
“We are meant to take her ship away from here. I doubt they ever intended her to accompany us,” Vanwyn said.
“She wasn’t even herself,” Nyx said. “This thing is almost completely bypassing her brain. Straight into her nervous system.”
Blank, that made sense now. Who they were talking to wasn’t really the woman at all, but someone controlling her body. Was there even a someone? Banok reached out, examining the biology of Blank’s mind.
While he might not be able to read thoughts or anything that deeply embedded, by looking at the structure he could get some measure of complexity. The mind of an empty clone would be far less intricate than that of someone who had lived a full life.
Blank’s mind was pretty complex. This hadn’t been some sort of empty clone they’d used for their purposes, this had been a person they’d just killed.
“I think she was a real person. Not some sort of construct,” Banok said.
“Nyx, can you get a recording of her fingerprints and an occular scan with the equipment you have?” Vanwyn asked.
“Once I’m done pulling what I can from this thing. They mostly wiped it clear, but there are fragments,” Nyx said.
“They seem true to their word so far. This station hasn’t blown up,” Banok said.
“However, safe transit probably ends the moment we try the leave—that we’re away from here. On a ship that they’ve provided, by the way,” Vanwyn said wryly.
“Were you able to get any sort of communications working?” Banok asked.
“Very short range. If we’re in a system we could broadcast to it, but we’re not. I figured out how to turn the cabins into short-term life boats, they have atmospheric seals, but that doesn’t help us either,” Nyx said, scowling as she pulled the leads from the implants and began to gather fingerprints.
“We know the ship has communications equipment,” Vanwyn said.
“We check it out then, but carefully,” Banok said.
14
The ship that Blank arrived on could not have been more different from the Orc ship. While that had stood out and been distinctive, this one looked to be a single four-person shuttle of the sort that could be quickly picked up at any shipyard cheaply.
The hatch was open, but before stepping inside they took a circuit around it.
“General registration number, but it isn’t marked with any flag or other identifiers,” Vanwyn said.
“No weapon mounts,” Banok said.
“Clean,” Jia said.
“I’m going to go in first and check it out,” Nyx said, zipping through the hatch.
“I’m going with her. If the thing is rigged to blow I can probably survive the blast. You two stay back,” Banok said.
The interior of the ship was an uninteresting as the exterior. Sleek gray walls with a lack of any personalization. Banok followed a sound of cursing to the engine room. Here at least things didn’t look normal, a shell of what looked to be some sort of ceramic encasing all equipment and maintenance hatches.
“Well, this is different,” Banok said.
“High density composite. I won’t be smashing my way through. You’re the brute force dummy. What do you think?” Nyx asked.
Banok reached out with his magic senses, probing at the ceramic. It wasn’t uniform, there were bubbles in it of different variation. While he couldn’t identify what made them different, he could take a good guess.
“I think if I try, explosives are set to go off and take out the star drive,” Banok said.
“Use the ship, maybe blow up. Try to disable any bombs, maybe blow up,” Nyx said. “Put in place in case we said no.”
“Or don’t use the ship and stay in a luxurious space station far away from anywhere where nobody will ever think to look for us. At least until supplies run out,” Banok said.
“There’s two years of supplies aboard. And they could resupply without us being able to interfere. Maybe that is the point,” Nyx said.
“They did give us a way
to get back into contact with them.”
“Maybe just to make us use the ship and go boom,” Nyx said.
“What about communications?”
“The same thing. Most of the hardware I can’t get at, and the parts I can are fried. It looks like the same signal that took out Blank took it out the moment we refused.”
“Let’s meet with the others,” Banok said.
They gathered outside the ship and filled everyone in on what they’d found inside.
“I am quickly developing a mix of dislike and respect for those behind this,” Vanwyn said.
“So what do we do?” Jia asked, glancing between them. She gnawed worriedly on her lower lip.
“We consider our options. One is we stay here, presumably not indefinitely, while Nyx attempts to figure out a solution,” Vanwyn said.
“I’m really smart. I’m also kind of not seeing one right now. But with some time … maybe?” Nyx said.
“We take the ship. If the people who did this were that eager to see us dead, there are easier ways to do it,” Banok said. “It may not self-destruct at all.”
“Are there? Even on this station Nyx has engineered a way for us to survive,” Vanwyn said.
“What about other alternatives? Could we use the ship to move the station?” Jia asked.
“It doesn’t work like that. I mean, it would with thrusters, but not the star drive,” Nyx said, flying over to kick Jia in one of her ears. “Stop being little dummy.”
“Could I boost it with my magic? If it doesn’t have the power I’ve a lot to spare,” Banok said.
“Maybe. I’d have to build an interface, but maybe. We head back home where we have a fleet just waiting and on the payroll to play rescuer,” Nyx said.
“Anyone got a better idea?” Banok asked.
There was silence around and a bunch of heads shaking.
“I’ll need muscle, dummy. You’ve got a lot of work ahead of you,” Nyx said.
Nyx wasn’t lying. Over the next three days Banok felt like he moved half the station from one side to the other. The station wasn’t meant to handle a star jump and this was probably going to tear it apart. That meant making sure it was torn apart in the right way.